Overall Objective: The current global crisis that has engulfed the world economy makes it more urgent than ever to continue the work of generating and sharing knowledge for the formulation of gender - equitable macroeconomic policy responses. The scope of the crisis also makes it imperative for all groups and networks to work with each other and policy makers. With this purpose, GEM-IWG is organizing a knowledge-sharing program consisting of a 2-week intensive course and a conference on gender and global economic crisis.

GEM- IWG, is an international network of over 200 economists that was formed in 1994 for the purpose of promoting research, teaching, policy making and advocacy on gender equitable approaches to macroeconomics, international economics and globalization. The Knowledge Networking Program was launched by GEM- IWG, in 2003. It has been supported by the Ford Foundation, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Division for the Advancement of Women, UNDP and UNIFEM. The Program has two objectives: (a) capacity building in research, teaching, policy making and advocacy in this area; (b) to increase knowledge networking by strengthening the links among practitioners working on gender, macroeconomics and international economics.

The program is intended for economists in academia, research institutions, in government and civil society organizations. Up to thirty fellows will be admitted to the program. Full funding will be provided for up to twenty fellows. Priority will be given to applicants from the global South*. The fellows of the program will be required, at a minimum, to have completed two years of study in an economics Ph.D. program and have passed their qualifying exams, or have its equivalent such as a master's degree in economics. These requirements may be waived only under exceptional circumstances. The program will be conducted in English. Final selection criteria will include the objective of achieving gender balance and regional balance in the composition of fellows.

Applications must be received by May 11, 2009, but will be processed as soon as they are received. Please see below for application requirements and application forms.

The program coordinators are Rania Antonopoulos (Levy Economics Institute) and Nilüfer Çagatay (University of Utah).

Many of the rotating instructors of past years, as well as others, will be joining the list of instructors and conference participants for the 9th round of the GEM-IWG programme. Among others, in alphabetical order, these have included: Charles Abugre, University of Wales; Bola Akanji, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER); Rania Antonopoulos, The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College; Radhika Balakrishan, Marymount Manhattan College; Günseli Berik, University of Utah; Lourdes Benería, Cornell University; Nilüfer Çagatay, University of Utah and the Levy Economics Institute; Lekha Chakraborty, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), India; Maria Floro, American University; Yassine Fall, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); Elissa Braunstein, Colorado State University; Diane Elson, University of Essex, UK; Gerald Epstein, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Valeria Renata Esquivel, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Marzia Fontana, Institute for Development Studies, Brighton, UK; Caren Grown, American University; Indira Hirway, Center for Development Alternatives, Ahmedabad (India); Jane Kiringai, Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA); David Kucera Ilo, Switzerland; Cecilia Lopez, Senator and Minority Speaker, The Senate of Colombia (Former Minister of Agriculture and former Minister of Planning, Colombia); Emel Memis, University of Ankara, Turkey and the Levy Economics Institute; Manuel Montes, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), New York; Dimitri Papadimitriou, Bard College and The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College; Hamidou Poufon, National Programme Associate, UNFPA, Cameroon and Cameroon School of Public Administration (ENAM); Stephanie Seguino, University of Vermont, USA; Rosalba Todaro, Center for Women's Studies (CEM), Santiago, Chile and Christian Humanism University; Imraan Valodia, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Matias Vernengo, University of Utah; Mariama Williams, Center of Concern, Washington D.C. and International Gender and Trade Network (IGTN).

In addition, many other economists have participated in GEM conferences and activities. These include Andrea Giovanni Cornia, (former chief economist, UNICEF and currently with University of Florence ), Rebeca Grynspan (UNDP and former vice- president of Costa Rica), Jan Kregel, (formerly with UNDESA and currently with the Levy Economics Institute), Devaki Jain, Solita Mansod, (former minister of Economic Planning, Professor and Chair of Economics, University of the Philippines and Director of Human Development); Zanele Mbeki (convener, South African Women in Dialogue), Nancy Folbre (University of Massachusetts) , Ajit Singh (University of Cambridge), Irene van Stavern (ISS, the Netherlands) and Ann Zammit.

*Applicants from the global South include individuals who are temporarily residing in the North, in so far as they are pursuing an academic degree.

THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM

The immediate aim of the program is to bring together economists from around the world that share a recognition of the importance of gender-equitable approaches to macroeconomics, international economics and globalization, especially in the context of the current world economic crisis, so as to assist them in:

• gaining knowledge and familiarity with existing formulations of gender-aware questions, research tools and methodologies in macroeconomics and international economics
• gaining knowledge and understanding of the current economic crisis and previous economic crises so as to produce gender- aware policy responses to economic crises. enhancing capabilities in integrating gender analysis in teaching macroeconomics, international trade, international finance or economic development
• formulating gender-aware questions in research, teaching, policy making and advocacy in this area
• fostering a network among the participants
• strengthening the intellectual links of the participants to other knowledge-networks engaged with similar issues
• enhancing their capability in connecting and networking in general with other practitioners, scholars and activists.

At the end of the program we expect that the fellows will have the tools to:

• conduct gender-aware macroeconomic research
• conduct gender-aware analyses of economics crises in specific country or regional contexts
• teach gender-aware macroeconomics and international economics
• work with governments, intergovernmental bodies and international development agencies to formulate gender-equitable macroeconomic policies and international economics policies at the national, regional and international levels
• give analytical support to CSOs in their advocacy efforts to promote gender equality in macroeconomic and global economic policy- making.

The ultimate objective of this program is to help the fellows to join the global GEM-IWG network of economists by participating in GEM-IWG projects and activities and to form and sustain their own networks of research, teaching, policy-making and activism within their own countries, among regions and globally.

COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM

The fellows are expected to complete the full program which consists of the following three components:

1) The Self-study Module will introduce the fellows to basic concepts of feminist economics and to basic concepts of feminist approaches to macroeconomics and international economics. It will also include broader critical analyses of the world economy and its institutions and the origins and causes of the current global economic crisis. Those participating in the course will be expected to have completed the self-study module. Completion of the self-study module will ensure that all the fellows start from a common knowledge baseline and that they will have had a chance to do the readings before participating in the two- week course. The self-study materials will be made available to all participants by June 1, 2009.

2) The Intensive Course which will take place June 29 to July 10, 2009 at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, two hours north of New York City, will address the problems posed by the self-study component at a more advanced level. It will consist of presentations by the instructors, discussion sessions and presentations by the fellows. The process will be participatory. The fellows will have an opportunity to meet with the instructors individually to discuss their research or teaching projects. A subset of the instructors will be available to act as mentors and interested fellows will be assigned a mentor during the program.

Fellows will be encouraged to work in a specific area of interest to them during the course. Topics might include a research proposal, analysis of the economic crisis in a country that they are familiar with, analysis of policy responses to the crisis, a policy briefing, ideas for curriculum development or a book review. In addition, the fellows will be expected to make a presentation on a topic that they are currently researching or they have expertise on. They are expected to form regional or thematic groups to promote knowledge sharing in research, teaching, and policy - making beyond the duration of the program. Examples of such groups formed during the past cycles include: GEM-Latin America and the Caribbean regional group, GEM-Africa regional group, GEM-Asia regional group, GEM group on Time Use, SAMs and CGE Modeling, GEM group on Gender and Poverty, GEM group on Gender Responsive Budgets, GEM group on Gender and Taxation, GEM group on Globalization, Labor markets and Gender Inequity, GEM group of Economists for Full Employment and Employer of Last Resort. The fellows will have an opportunity to meet and interact with some of the fellows from the past cycles during the course and the conference.

The theme around which both the course and the conference will be organized is the present global economic crisis as it is now affecting every country around the world. The basic modules of the course will include the following:

• Introduction to Gender-Aware Economics and Methods of Analysis
• The Origins and Causes of the Current Economic Crisis
• Policy Responses to the Crisis
• Gender, Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies
• Growth, Inequalities, Development and Poverty in the Context of Economic Crisis
• Gender and International Trade Dimensions of the Crisis
• Gender and Labor Dimensions of Economic Crisis
• Gender, Finance and Investment
• Gender-Equitable Policy and Political Responses to the Economic Crisis

The course schedule for 2009 will be made available by June 1, 2009. To see the course schedules for previous cycles, please visit www.genderandmacro.org.

3) The Conference on "The Current Economic Crisis: Gender Perspectives" will take place on July 13-14, 2009. The fellows are expected to attend the conference, which will be open to all who wish to participate (up to 60 people). Further information on the costs of participation, logistics, accommodations, and registration will be made available at www.genderandmacro.org. The conference program will be available by June 15, 2009.

COST OF ATTENDANCE AND FUNDING

Up to twenty fellows will be funded, with priority given to those from the global South. For the fellows who are fully funded by the program, the following will be provided: economy round trip air travel, accommodation during the course and the conference, meals during the course and the conference, course materials and conference materials. Fellows who are self-funded need to cover the costs of accommodation (2,400 USD); meals (expected to be 1,600 USD); instruction, self-study and conference materials (2,800 USD), conference registration fees (200 USD) and the cost of their travel.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants to this program should submit the following documents by May 11, 2009:

a) A completed application form. (New deadline May 11th)

b) A Curriculum Vitae

c) A personal statement which should include a description of the applicant's background and current work in economics, interest and/or background in gender studies, background and /or interest in macroeconomics, background and/or interest in international economics, motivation for taking the course, how s/he plans to use the knowledge gained in the program, and how s/he expects to contribute to the course and more generally to knowledge networking in the future. This statement should not exceed 750 words.

d) A letter of recommendation from someone who is familiar with their work in economics In addition, a hard copy of the letter of recommendation

e) For those whose main language of instruction during their education was not English, some proof of English proficiency test (e.g., TOEFL) will be preferable, but other proof may be accepted (e.g. a sample of written work in English).

f) For applicants who are currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program or who have obtained a Ph.D. or M.A. degree in the last two years, a copy of their transcripts in the Ph.D. or the M.A. program

Items a - d ( the application form, C.V. , personal statement and the recommendation letter) should be sent preferably by email to: genderandmacro@lists.csbs.utah.edu. In addition, a hard copy of the letter of recommendation, and items e - f (proof of English proficiency and transcripts in cases which are relevant) should be express mailed to:

Ms. Ginger Alewine: Administrative Officer, GEM-IWG
801-585-5649 (fax)
University Of Utah
Department Of Economics
1645 Campus Center Dr. Rm 308
Salt Lake City UT 84112-9300, U.S.A.

Those who are having difficulty with electronic mail can submit all documents by express mail to the same address.

Questions about the program can be directed to: genderandmacro@lists.csbs.utah.edu.